Page 61 of Defending You

“Nothing. I mean, he tried, but…” She swallowed, cheeks on fire. She’d been cruel to Asher, and Tucker had been her reward.

“He tried what?” Asher’s eyes flashed with fury. “I’ll find him. I’ll?—”

“Dad took care of it.”

Cici probably wouldn’t have told her father, but the couple who ran Tucker off insisted on calling her parents.

She wasn’t sure exactly what Dad had said to Tucker when he caught up with him, but for the rest of the school year, he’d kept his distance, and nobody had ever heard about what happened.

Dad had done that for her.

Of course, he’d also spent an hour lecturing her on all the things she could have—and apparently, should have—done differently. By the time he was done, she was pretty sure the whole thing had been her fault.

Asher took her hands. “Unless Tucker’s been walking with a limp for the last ten years, your dad didn’t punish him enough.”

She attempted a laugh, but it was thin. “You’re much kinder to me than I deserve.”

“Everybody deserves kindness.”

“You’re right. That’s exactly right. And what I did to you was cruel. It was awful, and I’m so, so sorry.”

Asher stilled. A moment passed before he nodded, then leaned closer and met her eyes. “I forgive you, Cici.”

No lectures? No driving the point home? No reminding her, in case she’d forgotten, what a terrible person she was? Just…forgiveness?

Apparently, because he didn’t move, just held there, a few inches from her.

The air between them thickened, charged with attraction and history. He was so different from the boy she’d known. She’d always thought of him as a really smart, nerdy kid. This man, though still smart, was strong and powerful and so incredibly kind.

She’d never felt anything but friendship toward Asher when they were in school together.

What she was feeling right now was far, far from friendship.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

He swallowed, then dropped her hands, pushed back, and stood. “It’s late. We should sleep.”

“Right.” She nodded, her voice soft. “Yeah.” Even if sleep was suddenly the last thing on her mind.

Asher grabbed the laptop and opened the door, waiting for her to step inside. She wanted to sit a few minutes longer on the patio, process everything they’d learned, everything that’d happened, but Asher wouldn’t let her stay outside by herself.

She passed him, the heat from his body warming her skin. Despite his forgiveness, her heart was heavy with regret and something else—something that felt like longing.

Asher had forgiven her, but the past still lingered, a barrier between them.

She realized that she desperately wanted to break through.

Cici woke to the soft light of dawn filtering through the cabin’s gauzy curtains. The room was cozy, with log walls and a quilted bedspread that smelled faintly of pine. She stretched, feeling Asher’s oversized T-shirt slide against her skin. It was longer than some dresses she owned, hanging to her knees. He’d been kind enough to share it, along with a pair of boxer shorts, which were so big she’d needed to roll them about five times to keep them from sliding down.

The clothes she’d packed for this work trip—her business slacks, her blouses, her favorite shoes—had all been in her suitcase, which they’d left at the barn. She figured everything had burned in the fire.

Clothes could be replaced, but the jewelry had been precious to her. The delicate gold necklace her grandmother had given her for her eighteenth birthday, the vintage onyx bracelet she’d bought from a jeweler in Tampa, the silver ring, one of the five she’d designed for herself and her sisters, each of their birthstones mounted along one side of the infinity symbol.

All gone, melted or stolen or charred.

But she and Asher were still breathing, and as much as she loved jewelry, what really mattered had survived.

So far, anyway.